Disease relevance of lef-8

• The late expression factor-8 gene (lef-8) of Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus encodes the largest subunit of the virally encoded DNA-directed RNA polymerase specific for the transcription of late and very late viral genes [1].
• Sequence analysis of three conserved baculovirus genes, polyhedrin, lef-8 and pif-2, revealed that AgseNPV-P differs substantially from the already described NPVs isolated from A. segetum and possibly represents a new NPV species [2].

High impact information on lef-8

• The predicted gene product, LEF-8, has a molecular mass of 102 kDa and contains a conserved sequence motif, GXKX4HGQ/NKG, found in DNA-directed RNA polymerases throughout the animal, plant, and microbial kingdoms [3].
• Detailed mutagenesis throughout lef-8 was performed, including this C-terminal motif, to define sequences required for late promoter activation [1].
• Marker rescue tests to identify the lesion involved in the ts phenotype of ts-S1, and nucleotide sequencing of the identified genome region, showed a single nucleotide mutation of a putative RNA polymerase gene, late expression factor-8 (lef-8) [4].
• Genomic localization and nucleotide sequence of a lef-8 gene of the Spodoptera littoralis nucleopolyhedrovirus [5].
• This gene arrangement differs from that of similar genes in the AcMNPV genome, where the lef-8 gene is located about 62 kbp from the chitinase gene and about 7 kbp from the p47 gene [5].

Biological context of lef-8

• Sequences downstream of the lef-8 gene contain two sequence repeats which resemble a repeated motif of the SpliMNPV enhancer element and other repetitive sequences from the viral genome [5].

Other interactions of lef-8

• Phylogenetic analyses using partial sequences of the polh, lef-8, and lef-9 revealed that ThorMNPV is a member of the Group I NPVs and is related but distinct from the AcMNPV/Rachiplusia ou NPV/Bombyx mori NPV cluster [6].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of lef-8

• Polyhedrin, lef-8, and pif-2 gene sequences were obtained by PCR with degenerate primers and used for phylogenetic analysis [7].
• Sequence analyses of the lef-8 gene revealed an ORF of 2730 nucleotides, predicted to encode a protein with Mr 104876 [5].

References